In 1985 Meharry received an RCMI award to support three components: an Office of Research Support Services, improvement of physical resources, and a research focus in neuroscience. This competing continuation application seeks to renew those components, and to make several improvements to strengthen research development at the college. The specific aims of this application are 1. To strengthen Meharry's research infrastructure by continuing the Office of Research Support Services, emphasizing the office's role in (a) improving applications to support multi-institutional projects; (b) broadening the army of agencies from which Meharry investigators seek research support; and (c) strengthening the college's capacity to sustain excellence in research. 2. To improve the college's research environment by continuing support for major shared research resources including the Animal Care Facility, the CAGE/GEM laboratory, the Electron Microscope Suite and the library. 3. To increase the college's research capability by continuing support for neuroscience research. The major components of this effort will be (a) to organize neuroscience as a multidepartmental/multidisciplinary research program; and (b) to expand the scope of neuroscience research by recruiting additional faculty members in biochemical and molecular neuroscience.